I Am Not Cinderella

Chapter 40

Fleur giggled as she sat on Barrie's lap.  Fleur was a happy and healthy four year old who loved spending time with Barrie.  Barrie hugged Fleur and tickled her which caused Fleur to squeal with joy.  Fleur wiggled on her lap before she threw her arms around Barrie's neck and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you sure about this Barrie?"

Barrie's smile evaporated as Beau spoke.  With a sigh Barrie handed Fleur over to Grekken who got busy entertaining the little girl.  Barrie sat back in her chair and gave a disgusted sigh.  "No Beau I'm not, but what else am I supposed to do.  I've been gathering allies these past two almost three years.  I will not back down."

Beau poured himself a drink before he spoke.  "I know cousin and my army is behind you, but 10,000 soldiers.  That's a lot of soldiers to gather.  I'm not sure if we can gather a force that large."

"We must Bear," Barrie said as she got up out of her chair to pace.  "I will not sit by and watch my father destroy a kingdom.  My people deserve more than that."

"What do you suggest Barrie?" Cinderella asked from where she sat nursing 2 month old Xavier.

A smile crossed Barrie's face as she gazed at her nephew.  She was so happy that Beau and Cinderella had finally gotten pregnant.  "I'm not sure Cinderella.  I need to figure out a way to build an armor strong enough to defeat my father."

Cinderella was quiet as she sat with her head down gazing at her son.  "Our allies are not enough?"

Beau shook his head.  "My allies are the same as my uncle's.  If I go to war with him then my kingdom is at risk."

Barrie silently paced the length of the sitting room.  She knew this and she hated it.  These were things that she had thought about for many years.  Her ancestors didn't have this problem.  Barrie stopped abruptly as a thought blossomed in her mind.  

"That's it!"

Beau frowned at her while Cinderella gave her a concerned look.  "What's it Barrie?"

Barrie moved forward and grabbed Beau by the arm.  "I've been doing this all wrong.  I've been looking for allies when all I need to do is look to those who were once allies with the Warrior Queens of old.  That's what I need to do."

"Do you know who these allies would be?"

"Yes.  I"ve been researching this since I was little.  In one of the trunks in my room, I have several books that from my father's library."

"What kind of books?" Cinderella asked in curiosity.

"Journals and diaries from the Warrior Queen, their consorts, and some of their children."

"If I remember correctly, wasn't there a whole bookshelf filled with those books."

Barrie gave Beau a wide smile.  "Yes and I've read them all."

"Do you have them all here?"

Barrie's answering smile was all the answer Beau needed.  "Slowly over the years I've smuggled them into my room and hidden them.  If father had known they were there he would've had them burned."

Cinderella stood up and passed Xavier to Grekken.  "Then we need to start reading those journals.  If we divide the books between the three of us then we should be able to figure out who can be our allies."

"I'll go and grab some books for you two," Barrie said as she left the room.

Barrie was filled with excitement as she walked down the familiar yet strange hallways of Beau's palace.  Her room was situated right next to Beau and Cinderella's.  Barrie pushed open the double doors to her room and swept through her suite till she dropped to her knees in front of the trunk that contained the journals.  Barrie rummaged through the books till she pulled out three books which she was sure would give them answers; the journal of Lord Devereux consort of the Warrior Queen Cassandra, the diary of Princess Anne whose mother was the Warrior Queen Brunhilda, and finally the diary of the Warrior Queen Cerridwyn who was the first of her kind.  Barrie closed the trunk and picked up the books.  She kept them close to her chest as she rushed back to the library.  Beau and Cinderella were still waiting for her.  Barrie handed each of them a book. 

"Read these.  Cinderella has the diary of Princess Ann.  Beau, you have the journal of Lord Devereux and I have the diary of the Warrior Queen Cerridwyn.  I thought that these would be the best books to start with.  Once we're done reading these I will pull out three more.  These books have the answers that we're looking for.  We just have to find them."